


The Tavern

by queenofliterature



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: A guy being creepy at a bar, BAMF Sky, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Life has been hard so I just wanted to write hurt/comfort, No Sexual Content, Sexual Harassment, Sky and Wild bonding, Swearing, it doesn't go far, please read disclaimer inside
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25892890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofliterature/pseuds/queenofliterature
Summary: Wild needs to wear his Gerudo outfit to a tavern in an unknown Hyrule. No one could have predicted how wrong it would go.
Relationships: Four & Wild (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Wild (Linked Universe), Legend & Wild (Linked Universe), Sky & Wild (Linked Universe), Time & Wild (Linked Universe), Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe), Warriors & Wild (Linked Universe), Wild & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 507





	The Tavern

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to my story Gerudo. You don’t have to read that one first, just know that the group finds out about Wild’s vai outfit and his adventures in the desert. I just wanted to write some hurt/comfort. And I've wanted more Sky and Wild bonding so I've been planning this for a little bit and finally executed it!
> 
> TW: Sexual Harassment. It does not get to the level of assault, but it does portray mine and my friend’s personal experience of harassment in public places. If this bothers you, please please skip this one. This is to spread awareness of the situation many men and women get into in public settings, not to harm anyone.

It turns out that knowing Wild could dress up as a girl really helped their mission, as much as Time was ashamed to admit. To be honest, when he was to team up with the other eight Links, he imagined traveling with his other incarnations, discussing battle technique, comparing swordsmanship, perhaps some battles of glory. He did not imagine his other incarnations attempting to convince their brother in arms to dress as a girl in order to gather information. 

They had practically been glared out of the tavern they approached, it seemed whatever Hyrule they were in didn’t appreciate nine strange men trying to talk information out of them. They approached a different bar on the other side of the small town, deciding to try a different strategy from the back. 

“If we send in Wild in his outfit, he could get some information.” Wind reasoned. Time didn’t know how it happened, but the one group had formed into two, arguing the merits of sending Wild in as a girl. 

“We’re not using Wild as a weapon!” Twilight argued back.

“I’d say it’s more of a disguise than a weapon. One of us can wear it instead, but Wild is more experienced in acting like a girl.” Legend shrugged. 

“I agree with Legend for once.” Warriors confirmed, shaking off Legend’s glare. “One strange girl is less suspicious than nine strange men who all look similar.”

“We are absolutely not throwing Wild into a situation like that surrounded by strangers.” Sky stated firmly. 

“I’m sure there’s a different solution.” Four agreed. 

“Maybe we should ask the person we’re talking about.” Hyrule cut in. The whole group looked at Wild, who was deep in thought. It wasn’t an awful idea, but Wild didn’t want to hurt anyone deliberately. 

“I’m not really comfortable with manipulating people if I don’t have to.” Wild spoke up for the first time since the conversation began. 

“What about that guy with the sand boots?” Legend asked curiously. 

“He wouldn’t leave me alone, I figured I could get something out of a bad situation.” Wild flushed. 

“I understand your reasoning Wild.” Warriors spoke up. “But asking a few questions over a pint isn’t really manipulation, at least not where I come from. You don’t have to lead anyone on, you can just ask some questions about the town and maybe find out why we’re here. A lot of casual flirting happens in taverns, and you don’t even have to do that. You can just talk to people, the way you dress shouldn’t be a major factor in that.” Warriors placed a hand on Wild’s shoulder. “But you don’t have to do anything. No one will be upset if you don’t feel comfortable with this. Hell, you’re more brave than me when it comes to that stuff. We’ll find a different way if we have to. We’ve gone off no information before.” Warriors finished. Time couldn’t have said it better. It would definitely be easier if Wild could gain information, but no one wanted to force him into a social situation that would make him terribly uncomfortable. 

“Okay.” Wild changed his outfit in the blink of an eye. No matter how much Twilight talked to him about it during late and sleepless nights, he still felt out of place in the group on occasion. They all treated him like an equal, but Wild still felt as though he didn’t contribute enough sometimes. Some of the other Links caught on and told him how ridiculous that was. Wild cooked, and fought, and took care of them. But something deep in Wild had a hard time shaking that sinking feeling deep inside that he always needed to do more.

So even if it meant doing this plan, he would help the others get their information. He would just need to make sure not to lead anyone on and stick strictly to being new Hylian in town in need of guidance. 

“You’re not going in alone.” Time ordered. “We’ll go in groups. Wild you’ll be the last one in. Come ten minutes after the last group.” Wild nodded at Time’s plan. He never used his voice in his vai outfit out of pure habit. Even now that talking came easier to him, his voice would be a dead giveaway. 

“I’ve been around beer before!” Wind snapped when Warriors told him to stay behind. 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you kid, I don’t trust others. They’ll think something’s up and you’ll get attention drawn to you. Sorry bud.” Warriors comforted. 

“I’m staying behind too Wind. We can sneak some peeks through the tavern windows.” Four winked. He had already been planning to stay behind. He already got enough shit in taverns about how he ‘obviously wasn’t old enough to be in there’. Besides if something happened, having two Links on the outside could be useful. 

“That’s true. Besides, Hyrule and Wild barely look old enough as it is, let alone you Wind.” Legend snarked, yelping at the tiny shock Hyrule poked him with. 

“Can we get this over with?” Twilight groaned. It wasn’t that he didn’t like taverns, they could have a fun atmosphere. But having all of the Links go in at the same time was always nerve wracking. He himself always looked a little out of place. Add a couple of his incarnations and it made for some interesting looks. 

“Come on country boy.” Warriors clapped a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “You and I can have a drinking contest.” Twilight and Warriors laughed at Time’s look of disapproval. 

“Can’t keep up Old Man?” Twilight smirked. 

“I’ve outdrank Gorons.” Time replied, knowing this simple sentence would send the boys reeling as he marched into the bar. 

~

Wild huffed in boredom. All the others had already gone in, leaving him with Four and Wind. Four and Wind were simply standing on crates and guessing at what customers were saying in low voices, ducking quickly if someone heard them through the window grates. 

“Okay, Wild. I think it’s been long enough.” Four nodded at Wild. 

“Finally.” Wild muttered before straightening out from the wall he was leaning against. Much like twilight he simply wanted to get this over with. He waved goodbye to Wind and Four and approached the tavern doors. Wild took a long, deep breath, before opening the doors to what awaited him inside. 

Looking around, Wild didn’t notice many differences to what he had seen in the other’s Hyrules. His Hyrule had some buildings similar to bars in the different regions, but nothing like what Four or Warriors had. He calmed down slightly at the sight of his friends strewn about. Time, Twilight and Warriors all content to talk lowly, making sure not to make their glances at Wild entering noticeable. Hyrule, Legend and Sky were along the other wall. They all seemed to have purchased drinks to blend in, but few of the Links were really drinking. 

Wild noticed a large man drinking alone slightly near a corner, but not so close it appeared he wanted to be left alone. He seemed to be one of the only people not drinking in a group, which would help Wild get the information he needed. Wild wrote a quick note in his journal and approached. The things that could go wrong continuously made it hard to breathe. What if the man thought Wild was actually flirting with him? What if he thought that Wild was flirting and he wasn’t even into women? What if he saw through the disguise? Wild pushed down those thoughts as he tapped the man lightly on the shoulder.

“Wha- oh. Hello there.” The man spoke up, eyeing Wild up and down in a way that almost made bile rise in Wild’s throat. The first thing Wild noticed about the man was that he was far older than Wild. While Wild was 15 (Zelda told him), this man seemed at least a decade older, and that was being kind. He was also far taller than Wild, even while he was sitting. Wild could only imagine how the man would tower over him if he stood, gulping down his nerves, Wild showed his journal to the man.

‘May I sit here?’ Wild had written on the paper. He has been told that his penmanship is surprisingly nice, so Wild assumed he had tapped into his days as a knight. 

“You sure can. Don’t be too shy to talk to be dear.” The man smirked in a way Wild assumed he thought was pleasant, but only sent chills down Wild’s spine. Wild glanced up to ensure his friends were aware of where he was, feeling immense relief they glanced at him a few times. They didn’t seem bothered by the man he was talking to, although Warriors had narrowed his eyes slightly. 

Wild turned his attention back to the man, making a cutting gesture towards his throat and shaking his head.

“Oh, you don’t speak, that’s alright dear, we’ll find ways around that. Is that how you got those scars?” The man winked much to Wild’s dismay. Wild wasn’t ashamed to show his scars, he had shown the group before when they had been comparing them, but he didn’t have a good made up story. He had no idea what was or wasn’t in this Hyrule, so he decided to get right to the point instead. He didn’t want to be here anymore. 

‘Do you know other towns around here? Are the roads safe?’ Wild wrote and showed the man. Everytime Hylia sent them somewhere, it meant there was an infection or trouble, usually near a place a local could point them too if there were any kind ones around. 

“Not even going to ask my name sweetheart?” Wild had absolutely no idea how to respond to that, so he let the other lead the conversation for now. 

“That’s alright dear, I’ll forgive you. Name’s Adam.” The now named Adam took Wild’s hand and appeared to try to give it a kiss, but Wild hastily turned it into a handshake. The man simply chuckled, as if Wild was a puppy that was chasing his tail. Wild’s blood boiled as he pointed to his question again. 

“There’s not much around here dear, a town a day's walk north but that’s it as far as I know. I’m not from here. Now. What’s your name?” Wild had to resist rolling his eyes. Not only was there something off about this man, he was practically useless as well. However there weren’t many other options, so Wild tried to persist on, at least for a little. 

‘Wild. A nickname. Is the road there safe?’ Wild wrote quickly, taking the time to glance at his friends. They still didn’t seem overly concerned, still keeping an eye on him, but it was obvious they couldn’t hear the conversation happening and were therefore not overly on guard. Wild couldn’t blame them, to a bystander Adam’s body language seemed perfectly normal, helpful even. 

“Wild eh? I like that.” Adam leaned closer, causing Wild to take a step back. “Oh c’mon sweetheart, I don’t bite. As far as I know the road to the town is fine. But if you’re worried, I would be happy to provide you some company.” The man’s voice dripped with thick honey that only sent Wild more on edge. His instincts were rarely wrong, and this man had screamed bad news from the moment Wild got trapped in this conversation. 

‘No thank you. I have friends with me.’ Wild wrote out, handwriting slightly shaky from Wild’s own shaking hands. Wild didn’t understand why this was so hard. He had cut down the very malice that plagued his own Hyrule, why couldn’t he find a way out of this conversation, why did he keep freezing up? 

“Friends huh?” The man scowled before resuming his cheerful facade, pulling Wild closer by the waist. No no no, Wild hated being touched there. The other Links knew that the back was fine, the shoulders were fine, but the elbow wasn’t and neither was any lower than the small of his back. He himself didn’t know why, so he assumed like always it was used against him in the past. He had scars there from blades, maybe the Yiga had done something. But the Links knew this, they knew it wasn’t okay. But this wasn’t his friend, it was a stranger in a tavern. Wild pulled himself away from the man’s grip. “C’mon dear. I can assure you I’m much more fun than them.” 

‘No thank you. Thank you for the information.’ Wild scrawled out, showing it to the man to try and escape this conversation. The man seemed to only skim it before grabbing Wild by the wrist. To the normal eye it would seem gentle and helpful, but Wild only felt cold seep into his bones.

“It’ll be fun. Just you and me.” The man tried to persuade him. Wild shook his head no, trying to shake off the hand. Wild wanted to do anything in that moment. Run, yank off his mask to reveal his gender, scream at the man who still hadn’t let go of him, but Wild was just frozen in that moment. Something about this was different than fighting monsters or riding bears. Wild hadn’t been this scared in a long time. One part of him was screaming to deck this man right in the face. The other was telling him it would hopefully be over soon, to endure it and not make a scene. Wild just kept shaking his head. Was this his fault? Did he lead this man on like he said he wouldn’t?

“Let her go.” A voice behind him growled. Adam and Wild whipped around towards the voice. It took Wild a couple of seconds to realize it had been Sky that spoke. Wild had never heard him so angry.

“This ain’t any of your business.” Adam snapped back, tightening his hand around Wild’s wrist until the bones themselves creaked. Sky’s eyes only gathered more rage at these words. 

“None of my business?” Sky hissed, form trembling with rage. Sky looked over to Wild’s slightly trembling form and his rage only strengthened. Compared to the creep standing at his full height, Wild was tiny. Sky was briefly reminded of a scrawny young boy. No parents, no home outside the Knight’s Academy, and nothing to his name, surrounded by three boys all larger and more confident. Sky took a deep breath and banished these thoughts. He had forgiven them all, but it still hurt sometimes.

“It is my business. She said no. Let her go and walk away.” Sky resisted pulling the Master Sword from its sheath as did the others with their weapons. They couldn’t, not with Wild still in the man’s hold. Who knew what he would do? Wild was still trying to pull away from the man that held him, silently respecting that even pissed off Sky could say ‘she’ even while he was used to calling Wild ‘he’. 

“Relax. We were just chatting. Right dear?” The man captured Wild’s other wrist in his large hand, as if Wild’s arms were just two twigs being a simple nuisance to him. “If you’re so bothered by our presence, we were just about to leave. Right sweetheart?” The man stroked Wild’s right cheek, just over his scar, ignoring Wild’s flinch and halt in breath. With both his hands captured, Wild did what seemed natural. Once the fingers came close to his mouth, Wild bit. Hard. 

“You dumb bitch!” The man howled, violently shoving Wild down in an act of rage. Wild’s head banged on the wood of the tavern floor, his vision exploding in white and blurring together. The impact was more painful than he expected. Adam was apparently extremely strong as well as useless. All around him was muffled shouting, surrounding and suffocating him. He didn’t like it, he wanted to leave, back to the forests just before a blood moon where nothing could hurt him. Wild was barely aware of his own body, his shaky hands coming up to cover his ears. He could feel that man’s hand on him, he just wanted it all to go away. He craved nothing more in that instant than to simply lay down in the cool grass with not a Hylian in sight, enjoying the breeze and admiring the natural color of the wild.

~

Hyrule craved nothing more in that instant than to burn this man alive. The second the man shoved down Wild with the sickening smack of his head on the floor below, all Hell broke loose. Hyrule darted over to Wild, he wanted to beat that man into next week, but Wild came first. Warriors bolted over to the man now that his friend was free, restraining him from behind for the time being. The bar tender didn’t step in, content for the group to handle this creep by themselves. Warriors appreciated that immensely. Legend ran over next to Hyrule to assist him should he need it. If he knew Wind and Four, they would most likely be guarding the door in case the man escaped. Time and Twilight stood slightly on the outside of the chaos, waiting for either group to call if they needed help. As for Sky, well, if Hyrule was where the creep was now, he would be quivering in his boots. The man was trying desperately to keep his smug and brave face.

Hyrule would be laughing in a different situation. He knew Sky’s story. Sky had been the first to stare into the eyes of Demise himself. A rat in a tavern was nothing compared to that. Hyrule made eye contact with Twilight and gestured for him to come over. Twilight was there in a few long strides. 

“Cover me. Who knows how these people will react to magic.” Hyrule murmured to Twilight and Legend. After making sure Wild was obscured from view from the strangers in the bar, Hyrule placed his hand on Wild’s head, allowing the life manifesting around him to guide itself into Wild. Hyrule felt better as Wild relaxed slightly, leaning further into Hyrule’s healing force. 

“Lets get him out of here before he realizes how many people are watching him.” Legend told the other two, sending a glare at the other patrons. Hyrule nodded after healing what he could, Twilight going to sling Wild’s arm over his shoulder. The second Twilight touched his hand the Wild’s arm, the younger yanked back, unfocused eyes opening once more. Under the mask, Twilight could see Wild’s breathing quicken, eyes darting around for any more danger. Twilight knew these signs, and he needed to get Wild out of there before his panic became worse. 

“Wild, Cub, it’s me. It’s okay, he’s gone. It’s just us now.” Twilight tried once again to reach out to Wild. His breath quickened once again, but he didn’t flinch away. “I’m sorry Cub, we just gotta get you outta here.” Twilight swung Wild’s arm over his shoulder, avoiding the boy's bruised wrists as much as he could. The monster that had dared lay a hand on his cub better be thankful that Twilight had control over the wolf inside. Otherwise seeing the bruises and Wild’s panicked state would send him absolutely ballistic. 

For now he led Wild outside for fresh air he desperately needed, leaving whoever that man was to Sky. 

~

“Let me go.” The man in front of Sky growled. 

“Why the fuck would we do that?” Warriors tightened his hold as he spoke, expertly retraining the man in front of him. 

“It was none of your business!” The man continued to struggle in Warriors’ grip 

“None of our business? The harassment of anyone is our business, especially our friend who you decided to push yourself on.” Time scowled, causing the man to freeze. Sky didn’t even blame him, Time could be extremely intimating when he was mad at the other Links for doing something stupid, Sky couldn’t imagine being on the other end of the man’s pure anger. 

“She didn’t say no!” The man defended, although it was the worst possible thing he could have said.

“Didn’t say no? She doesn’t speak, you idiot!” Sky yelled. That was one thing Wild and him had in common. Sky had struggled to speak for many years, sometimes in his childhood he would whisper his thoughts to Zelda for her to speak for both of them. He stopped when he was teased for it later on, Groose telling him he wouldn’t have Zelda forever and he was useless without her. Even during his quest he had been almost completely silent. When Sky looked upon Wild struggling to communicate when he was first integrated into the group, he saw himself. Sky was so proud of Wild’s progress. He still struggled sometimes but that was alright, Sky did too. 

“Oh please. She can speak a word or two if she needs to. With that getup? She just wanted to seem exotic. She led me on!” Sky’s rage only grew. At that moment he knew there was no way this man would see the error of his ways. But what was Sky supposed to do? He didn’t know of a prison here or if this man had even broken any laws in this Hyrule. Beating him, lecturing him, none of it guaranteed he wouldn’t be able to hurt others like he hurt Wild. 

“She doesn’t speak at all!” Sky was on the verge of yelling at this point, barely holding onto the word ‘she’. Wild could speak now most days, but this bastard didn’t deserve to know any of that. He didn’t deserve to know how far Wild had come with trusting and touching and speaking. Sky wouldn’t give this man the satisfaction of knowing Wild was probably in a world of panic as they spoke. “That shouldn’t matter. It doesn’t matter how she was dressed or how she communicated, she made it clear you were pushing boundaries you had no right to push.” Sky growled, watching as Warriors pulled Wild’s journal out of thin air. When he had snagged that, Sky didn’t know. 

“She made it very clear.” At this point Warriors was restraining the large man with one arm as if it were nothing, using the other to shove Wild’s journal in the man’s face as he passed it to Sky. As Sky read the journal, his blood only boiled more. 

“Twice.” Sky hissed out.

“The hell are you talking about?” The man in front of him snapped, quieting down at Time’s glare. 

“Twice. She said no twice. You said she led you on? Nothing in here suggests that.” Sky stepped forward and Warriors was reminded of an animal protecting its home. “She should have said it once for you to back up and answer her questions. Or tell her you didn’t know. As far as I can tell, you were the only ones playing games. Maybe before you tried your pathetic excuses, remember if there was evidence of the conversation.” The man in Warriors’ grip squirmed once again and Warriors used both hands to harshly stop any movement, focusing on Sky and what he would do next. Warriors knew that Sky was skilled, a knight inside and out. But the usually calm hero had shed a layer, revealing the storm that hid underneath. 

“Get out.” Time spoke up, giving Warriors a signal to let the man go. As much as he wished he could beat the man bloody, Wild needed them. 

“Cowards. Bitch deserved it.” The man muttered. Time saw red in that moment. In a flash the tavern was filled with a crack, the sound of a freshly broken nose. 

“I said get out.” Time growled, shaking out his recently bloodied hand and completely forgetting the other tavern patrons for a moment. Perhaps he would regret that later, but for now he felt only justice. The coward simply stumbled up from the floor he had been knocked onto, doing his best to flee through the doors. Time smirked slightly at the sight he could see out of the corner of his good eye. Small feet reaching out and tripping the man as he ran out the doors. 

~

Wild was having hell of a time calming down. His breathing hadn’t slowed down at all, even while leaning in the shade at the back of the bar. 

“Cub? Hey can you look at me?” Twilight asked, not daring to reach for Wild again. After he had set Wild down, the boy had curled in on himself, hand gripping his hair in a painful hold to ground himself. He wouldn’t let anyone near him, not even Hyrule who was closest to his age. “He’s gone. You won’t see him again, I’ll make sure of it.” Twilight tried to reassure, but nothing was getting through. 

“Y-you don’t k-know that!” Wild gasped out from between his knees. He didn’t quite know what to do. He didn’t want anyone near him, but he certainly didn’t want to be left alone, and Twilight knew that. 

“Sky’s takin’ care of him. And Time and Warriors! You know the look Time gets. I bet that guy is pissing himself!” Twilight joked, and while Wild huffed a tiny laugh, it wasn’t working like Twilight had hoped it would. For the first time in what seemed forever, Twilight was truly lost in how to help Wild. Twilight heard a yelp and knew Four’s little revenge plan worked out well. It wasn’t much, but it was something to slightly calm the two who had to watch from outside. Hyrule perked up at the sound of footsteps, readying his magic to defend Wild if needed. Only relaxing when he saw Time, Warriors and Sky. Wind and Four joined them, Hyrule was assuming after they ensured the man had left for good. 

‘How is he?’ Time signed to the others. Twilight shook his head. 

“Hey Wild. He’s gone.” Sky stated softly, kneeling down a good distance from Wild. Wild barely nodded in acknowledgment. 

“Can I touch you?” Wild rapidly shook his head. He wasn’t ready to feel another person. He could still feel the hands on his skin. 

“That’s okay. Do you want us to leave?” Sky asked gently, and Twilight admired how quickly he could shift from so terrifying to so gentle. Wild shook his head again, slower this time. He had no idea what he wanted. 

“That’s okay too. Can I come closer as long as I don’t touch you at all?” Sky asked, and Wild thought for a moment, then nodded. Sky approached as if Wild was a spooked animal. The others tried to make Wild feel as normal as possible, having quiet conversations so as to not make Wild feel he was the center of attention. It was routine at this point. When one Link was struggling, it wasn’t always ideal to have all the attention shining on them. 

“You can talk whenever you’re ready. We just got to this Hyrule, there’s no rush. We talked to the bar owner, he’s spreading the word to other places about how that man treats people.” Sky reassured, knowing that Wild was far too selfless for his own good, and knowing others wouldn’t be hurt like him would be a comfort. 

“Th-tha” Wild choked out, words getting caught in his throat. 

“No problem Wild. You don’t need to speak if you don’t want to.” Sky smiled at Wild’s hands releasing his grip slightly. The calming atmosphere helping the boy to relax a little. Sky settled against the tavern wall, crossing his legs. “I won’t come any closer unless you want me too.” Sky confirmed once again, sitting a good 5 feet away. Wild nodded in thanks, and Sky was content to take in his surroundings for now. 

Over time, Wild had gradually inched himself closer, his ball loosening and his hands now simply running through his hair. Still, Sky stayed as the other Links chatted about nothing. When upset, Wild either despised comfort or craved it, and it was sometimes hard to tell which, so Sky let him make the first move. 

“Do you want help changing clothes?” Sky questioned, pointing to Wild’s slate. Wild bit his lip and nodded, shaky hands handing his slate over to Sky. Sky didn’t have a lot of experience with Wild’s slate, and was surprised the boy had even handed it over, but he was able to assemble Wild’s usual outfit. He passed the slate back to Wild for the boy to confirm it. With a simple flash of blue Wild was once again in his trousers and tunic. 

“H-he.” Wild spoke up after he was only a foot away, his normal clothes apparently giving him the confidence to speak again. “M-my waist and-” Wild cut himself off, Sky could see a few tears streaming out of Wild’s eyes behind his hair. Now that the waves of panic had worn off, it seemed Wild was actually processing what happened. 

“He touched your waist?” Sky asked, anger returning full force when Wild nodded. Who thought that would be an okay place to touch a stranger anyway?

“I-I’m s-” Wild got out and Sky pushed his anger down for now. They needed to work on Wild feeling the need to apologize for being Hylian.

“Don’t be sorry.” Sky told Wild firmly. For reasons Sky didn’t know, it was these words that broke Wild’s resolve completely. Sky’s arms raised slightly in surprise as Wild launched into him, clinging to his chest as he sobbed, as if Sky could take all the pain away if Wild held on tight enough. Sky wrapped his arms tightly around Wild. Sometimes pressure helped the members of their group come back from being trapped within their heads. While surprised, Sky was honored that Wild trusted him. 

“W-was it my fault? I didn’t m-mean to trick him, I promise!” Wild’s words were muffled in Sky’s chest and he knew what Wild met. His heart sank once again. 

“No. Wild it wasn’t your fault. You asked him questions. You did nothing wrong.” Sky soothed, clutching Wild tightly to his chest. Looking up, he could see concern on the faces of the other Links, but also relief that Wild was able to seek comfort. 

“I’m sorry I feel s-stupid. I didn’t fight him off! I j-just froze. H-his hands, they’re on me. I-I just froze.” Wild sobbed into Sky’s chest, and Sky had lost track of how much his heart broke for Wild today. 

“Don’t be sorry. That’s an awful situation to be in. The hands will go away with time, I promise. Besides, that bite looked pretty painful.” Sky joked and Wild let out a wet laugh into Sky’s tunic. The other Links seemed to relax when they heard Wild’s small laugh. 

“I’m sorry if you felt forced to do that.” Sky spoke softly into Wild’s hair. “That wasn’t our intention.” Wild shook his head against Sky’s shoulder.

“I-I like wearing it. I-It’s n-nice. Now I feel stupid.” Wild cried out. 

“Don’t let him ruin that for you, Wild. No matter what you dress like, no one should be treated that way. None of that was your fault.” Sky knew his words alone wouldn’t help Wild immediately, so he continued to be a rock of support for as long as Wild needed. 

Eventually Wild was able to calm down enough to tell the others about the interaction fully, breath stopping at some moments, but overall he was doing alright. Every moment Wild spoke about what happened, the group only felt more rage pile on. But Wild didn’t need their rage, he had experienced enough negative emotions for one day. 

“I say we find a place around here to settle in for the night.” Time suggested. Wild looked like he wanted to protest that he was fine to travel, but soon some others claimed they were tired, and settling in seemed like a nice idea. Twilight didn’t mention the fact that Warriors and Four worked together on a sketch on the man’s face to post a warning in front of the tavern. 

The evening was far nicer than the afternoon. Wild had calmed down significantly, but was still skittish. Hyrule took him exploring in the forest to help the other clam down. After that, Wild curled into his bedroll and crashed before the sun was fully gone, the others relieved he could get some good rest after the ordeal he had been through. 

~

“Hey Time? Is your hand okay? It’s all bloody.” 

“It’s not my blood.”

**Author's Note:**

> The entire time I was writing it the title was "Sky Really Said Fuck Off". I decided not to put this in my Wild's Story Hour series because it's not a story told by Wild. 
> 
> As I said this is based on personal experience, but this is a widespread issue that comes in many different forms. I'm enabling comment moderation for this fic as to filter out potentially harmful or incorrect information. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
